This invention relates to accessories for electronics racks or cabinets, and more particularly to a device for supporting a keyboard for use in a standard electronics rack or cabinet.
To date, electronics racks and cabinets have standardized on a size that is preferable to for most electronics devices. The EIA standard 19 inch cabinet is the most popular size of rack. These 19 inch electronics racks typically have an opening or a chassis clearance which is 17xc2xe inches wide to accommodate most types of electronic devices.
More and more, electronics racks are being called upon to store computer-related devices. These computer-related devices typically include a monitor, a central processing unit, and user interface devices such as a keyboard and a pointing device, such as a mouse. One problem which has resulted by the use of computer-related devices in electronics racks is that the standard size computer keyboard, which typically has 101 to 116 keys and a width of 17 to 20xc2xd inches, does not fit into the 17xc2xe inches opening of the standard 19 inches electronics rack.
One way in which this problem has been solved in the past is by substituting a reduced size or mini-keyboard for the standard sized keyboard. This is usually accomplished by using smaller sized keys and/or removing sets of keys, such as the numeric keypad from the keyboard. Obviously, this results in decreased functionality of the keyboard by the user and is not an ideal solution to the problem.
The present invention solves the problem by the use of a rotatable keyboard supporting device which is capable of holding a full sized standard keyboard and storing the keyboard inside the cabinet when not in use.
A device for supporting a standard size keyboard tray within an electronics rack or cabinet. The keyboard supporting device includes a slideable shelf and a keyboard tray that is rotatably mounted thereto. The keyboard tray is rotatable between a storage position in which the keyboard tray is substantially perpendicular to the slideable shelf and a use position in which the keyboard tray is substantially parallel to the slideable shelf. A biasing device is included for biasing the keyboard tray toward either the storage position or the use position when the keyboard tray is disposed between the use position and the storage position.
In one preferred form of the present invention, the biasing device includes an eccentrically mounted spring for biasing the keyboard tray. A cam-follower is provided for limiting the rotary motion of the keyboard tray and cooperates with the eccentric spring to bias the keyboard tray. In one form of the invention, the cam-follower comprises an arcuate track formed in either the slideable shelf or the keyboard tray and a follower that travels within the track disposed on the other of the slideable shelf and keyboard tray.
In one form of the invention, the slideable shelf may include drawer slides which permit the shelf to travel between an extended position and an unextended position. The stationary portion of the drawer slide is adapted to be slideably mounted to an electronics rack or cabinet.
In one form of the invention, a carousel is mounted between the slideable shelf and the keyboard tray for allowing the keyboard tray to rotate relative to the slideable shelf.
The keyboard tray may include a horizontal planar portion for holding a standard size keyboard, a wrist pad located at a front edge of the horizontal portion, and a cable management device, such as a slot, for managing the keyboard cable.
A handle may be provided on the slideable shelf for moving the shelf between the extended position and the unextended position.